ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia softball player Niaja Griffin has been selected as an inductee for the 2012-2013 Leadership Academy. Griffin, a junior, was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll last season and earned a sport on the SEC First Year Honor Roll as a freshman. She joins softball alums Alisa Goler, Taylor Schlopy and Brittney Hubbard as members of L.E.A.D.

The Orlando, Fla., native has been a regular in the Georgia lineup since her freshman year, appearing in 115 games, including 98 starts. Last season, she batted .295 with 39 hits, 11 RBI and scored 39 runs as the Bulldogs made their 12th-straight postseason appearance. During her freshman season, she hit .239 with 29 runs scored, 32 hits and 17 RBI.

This is the fourth year of the L.E.A.D. program after 17 student-athletes were inducted last year, 20 in 2011 and 26 in 2010. The student-athletes were chosen based on academic and athletic success, leadership, campus and community service involvement and recommendations of head coaches and academic counselors.

Along with encouraging leadership development and providing resources to compete for awards and scholarships, the student-athletes will have a chance to meet with local, state and industry leaders. It is one of the program's goals to have the student-athletes visit a company where superb leadership has had a visible impact on the organization and/or surrounding community.

Additionally, these student-athletes will be provided with resources to be competitive for conference and national awards and postgraduate scholarships, such as the NCAA Top VIII award, NCAA Woman of the Year award and the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarship.

As an incentive for participating in the program, L.E.A.D. participants will have the opportunity to compete for a highly coveted graduate assistantship position within the UGA Athletic Association.